Disgruntled Customers Throw Torn Notes at RBI Office in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: In a surprising turn of events, disgruntled customers gathered outside the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) office in Odisha’s capital, alleging that the bank had been unwilling to accept their damaged currency notes for exchange. The scene was marked by the sight of torn notes in various denominations, including Rs 100, Rs 200, and Rs 500, strewn on the ground in front of the office.

Customers expressed their frustration, stating that they had arrived at the bank with the intention of exchanging their damaged currency, only to find that the bank’s employees were refusing to accept these notes. This led to a protest where customers collectively resorted to symbolically throwing the damaged currency notes in front of the RBI office.

In response, bank authorities explained that the counter for the exchange of damaged notes had been closed since October 3. However, customers argued that they had not been notified of this change in policy by the bank.

Tensions escalated as words were exchanged between bank officials and the disgruntled customers, prompting the intervention of the Kharavela Nagar police, who arrived at the scene to mediate and calm the protesters.